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| Republican gay rights campaigner tells CPAC panel to embrace gay marriage | Republican gay rights campaigner tells CPAC panel to embrace gay marriage |
| (8 days later) | |
| A prominent gay Republican campaigner has launched a blistering attack on some of his fellow conservatives amid a plea for the party to embrace same-sex marriage rights. | A prominent gay Republican campaigner has launched a blistering attack on some of his fellow conservatives amid a plea for the party to embrace same-sex marriage rights. |
| Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay rights group GOProud, told a panel at the CPAC gathering of conservative leaders and grassroots activists that the movement had to tackle bigotry. | Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of gay rights group GOProud, told a panel at the CPAC gathering of conservative leaders and grassroots activists that the movement had to tackle bigotry. |
| "There are a few in our movement who just don't like gay people and in 2013 that is just not okay anymore," he told a standing-room only gathering held away from CPAC's main speaking hall. | "There are a few in our movement who just don't like gay people and in 2013 that is just not okay anymore," he told a standing-room only gathering held away from CPAC's main speaking hall. |
| The Republican party, which has a powerful socially conservative wing, is in the grip of an internal debate about how to treat gay Americans with some wanting to be more inclusive while others will not come out in favour of gay marriage. | The Republican party, which has a powerful socially conservative wing, is in the grip of an internal debate about how to treat gay Americans with some wanting to be more inclusive while others will not come out in favour of gay marriage. |
| CPAC organisers have come under attack from some conservative commentators for not officially inviting GOProud to the event, being held just outside Washington DC. LaSalvia only attended as a panel speaker, invited by the Competitive Enterprise Institute. "We are taking tolerance out of the conservative closet," said CEI founder Fred Smith, who organised the panel, called A Rainbow on the Right: Growing the Coalition. | CPAC organisers have come under attack from some conservative commentators for not officially inviting GOProud to the event, being held just outside Washington DC. LaSalvia only attended as a panel speaker, invited by the Competitive Enterprise Institute. "We are taking tolerance out of the conservative closet," said CEI founder Fred Smith, who organised the panel, called A Rainbow on the Right: Growing the Coalition. |
| In an impassioned speech, LaSalvia did not pull his punches. "We have tolerated something in our movement for far too long – anti-gay bigotry," he said. LaSalvia said that true conservatives would encourage same-sex marriage out of an ideological appreciation of the virtues of the institution for all Americans, whether gay or straight. "I am a pro-life social conservative. I know that marriage is good for people. We should encourage, protect and promote it," he said. | In an impassioned speech, LaSalvia did not pull his punches. "We have tolerated something in our movement for far too long – anti-gay bigotry," he said. LaSalvia said that true conservatives would encourage same-sex marriage out of an ideological appreciation of the virtues of the institution for all Americans, whether gay or straight. "I am a pro-life social conservative. I know that marriage is good for people. We should encourage, protect and promote it," he said. |
| But many of the speakers – and especially the top elected officials – at CPAC have avoided the topic of same-sex marriage or come out against it. In his highly anticipated and well-received speech earlier on Thursday, Florida senator Marco Rubio stood by his defence of traditional marriage. "Just because I believe states have the right to define marriage in a traditional way does not make me a bigot," he said. | But many of the speakers – and especially the top elected officials – at CPAC have avoided the topic of same-sex marriage or come out against it. In his highly anticipated and well-received speech earlier on Thursday, Florida senator Marco Rubio stood by his defence of traditional marriage. "Just because I believe states have the right to define marriage in a traditional way does not make me a bigot," he said. |
| Yet LaSalvia's fellow panel members enthusiastically backed his cause. Liz Mair, a Republican strategist, said that a recent poll of Republican voters under 30 had shown 51% of them supported gay marriage. "There is something that needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed now," she said. | Yet LaSalvia's fellow panel members enthusiastically backed his cause. Liz Mair, a Republican strategist, said that a recent poll of Republican voters under 30 had shown 51% of them supported gay marriage. "There is something that needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed now," she said. |
| Arch-conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin said the party had to move forwards on the issue or risk getting left behind by America's changing demographics and growing tolerance. "In ten years no one will be talking about this," she said, warning that the Republican party needed to adjust or die as it was seen as too extreme on social issues. "Lots of parties have gone out of business in America. There is nothing that says we have to be around," she said. | Arch-conservative Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin said the party had to move forwards on the issue or risk getting left behind by America's changing demographics and growing tolerance. "In ten years no one will be talking about this," she said, warning that the Republican party needed to adjust or die as it was seen as too extreme on social issues. "Lots of parties have gone out of business in America. There is nothing that says we have to be around," she said. |
| LaSalvia agreed, arguing that the party was being defined by its extremists and suffering at the ballot box as a result. "Aren't you tired of losing? I am too. We have to seriously re-examine and recalibrate our movement to build a new coalition that can win," he said and added: "The world today includes gay people living their lives openly and honestly." | LaSalvia agreed, arguing that the party was being defined by its extremists and suffering at the ballot box as a result. "Aren't you tired of losing? I am too. We have to seriously re-examine and recalibrate our movement to build a new coalition that can win," he said and added: "The world today includes gay people living their lives openly and honestly." |
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